Do BCAA Supplements Help with Golf?

It may not feature the same degree of physicality as a contact sport, but anyone who has played 18 holes of golf knows that the experience can be far from easy. Whether you’re lugging around a heavy golf bag, trekking from one hole to another, or climbing out of a sand trap, every round of golf involves activities that can sap your strength and leave you feeling fatigued. Of course, through conditioning and practice, these trials can become less taxing, improving your effectiveness on the golf course and bringing lower scores game after game; for an extra boost, consider BCAA supplements – potent products with a variety of benefits for those who play golf. To find out more about how BCAA supplements help with golf, keep reading as the people at aminoVITAL® explain.

What are BCAA Supplements?

Before we dive into the benefits of BCAA supplements for golf, let’s start with the basics. There are 20 amino acids our bodies need to function, which are divided into two main groups: the “essential” amino acids and the “nonessential” amino acids. These terms reference the dietary role of amino acids; in other words, the nonessential ones don’t need to be consumed because our bodies can make them on their own, while the essential ones have to be obtained through food or supplements. The BCAAs belong to this second group.

The term “BCAA” is a commonly used abbreviation for “branched-chain amino acid,” a classification that includes three particular compounds: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. When people talk about the BCAAs, they are referencing these amino acids. In addition to these compounds, BCAA supplements from aminoVITAL® contain some key ingredients, such as vitamins for energy and electrolytes to balance hydration, designed to keep you going strong for 18 holes. Learn more about the beneficial effects of the three BCAAs below.

Leucine

Leucine is the amino acid in charge of triggering muscle protein synthesis, the process by which our bodies create new muscle tissue. This makes leucine a critical part of any fitness supplement designed to increase strength or muscle mass. Leucine has also been linked to energy production and a reduction in muscle damage brought on by exercise.

Isoleucine

Whereas leucine works to improve strength, isoleucine focuses on endurance. This amino acid promotes the movement of glucose (the body’s main source of fuel) to the muscles and helps the cells there turn it into useable energy, keeping the muscles energized through even the most rigorous exercise. Isoleucine also quickens the post-workout recovery process.

Valine

Though it has many roles in the body, valine’s main value as part of a fitness supplement is its ability to limit muscle degradation brought on by exercise. Not only does this mean it can help preserve muscle mass, but it also reduces the amount of healing that must take place after a workout.

Benefits of BCAA Supplements for Golf

Though the effects of the three BCAAs offer plenty of reasons to try out these powerful products, BCAA supplements actually have much more to offer golfers and other athletes. We’ll cover a few of these additional benefits below, starting with arguably the most important.

How BCAAs Fight Fatigue

By the time you reach the back nine, chances are you’ll be starting to feel the strain of the constant walking and swinging happening from hole to hole. One of the chief reasons for this is the buildup of serotonin – a neurotransmitter linked to sleep, energy, appetite, and fatigue – in the brain.

Normally, the BCAAs in your blood compete with tryptophan, another amino acid, for access to the brain via the blood-brain barrier (BBB). However, as you use your muscles during a game of golf, those muscles will begin to draw in BCAAs from your bloodstream to use them as a source of energy and support muscular functions. This reduces competition at the BBB and allows more tryptophan to enter the brain.

Tryptophan is the precursor of serotonin, so as more of this amino acid moves into the brain, serotonin levels also begin to rise, which leads to the onset of the kind of physical and mental fatigue you might feel after a dozen or more holes of golf. By supplementing with amino acids partway through the round, you can restore the levels of BCAAs in your blood and balance the uptake of tryptophan, preventing the buildup of serotonin and warding off fatigue.

Other Benefits of BCAA Supplements

When you drink a protein shake, it takes time for the effects of that supplement to be felt because those whole proteins must be digested before their amino acids can be absorbed. When you use a BCAA supplement from aminoVITAL®, however, you’re ingesting free-form amino acids that require far less digestion, which allows them to kick in up to three times faster than whey, a leading source of protein. This speed makes BCAAs an ideal choice for fast energy before, during, or after a round of golf.

In addition, BCAA supplements tend to be much leaner than their protein-based counterparts. Many popular protein shakes and powders contain significant amounts of calories and sugar, meaning that they could potentially undermine your overall health and fitness goals. An amino acid supplement, on the other hand, often has far fewer calories; the Action mid-workout mix from aminoVITAL®, for example, contains only 15 calories and has no sugar at all.

Try a Powerful BCAA Supplement for Extra Energy While Golfing

If you’ve ever experienced the strain and fatigue that can occur during a golf outing, you could benefit from a potent BCAA supplement, available today from aminoVITAL®. To learn more about these effective products and how they can help your golf game, visit us online or call (888) 264-6673 today.